Photomechanical printing apparatus



Sept 1938. w. c. HUEBNER- I 2,129,767

PHOTQMECHANICAL PRINTING APPARATUS Filed July 20, 1 936 5 Sheets-Sheet 11220622221 Wzllkkvn/ C Hzzener Sept. 13, 1938. v v. c:. HUEBNER2,129,767

PHOTKSMECHANICAL PRINTING APPARATUS I Filed July 20, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet2 Sept. 13, 1938. w. c. HUEBNER 2,129,767

PHOTOMECHANICAL PRINTING APPARATUS Filed July 20, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet 5Patented Sept. 13, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlCE Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in photomechanical printingapparatus.

In the making of printing plates whereon pictorial or type matter isphotographically repro- 5 duced, it is customary to employ eitherso-called photo-composing machines or vacuum printing frames.Photo-composing machines, being intended not only for the reproductionof ordinary black and white work but for delicate color work, are'relatively expensive, require highly skilled operators, and are notgenerally economically justified in making certain types of pressplates, such as those for newspapers, tarifi sheets and similarrelatively simple work where extreme accuracy of registration is notrequired.

Heretofore, vacuum printing frames have been generally used for thesimpler classes of work but the same have a relatively limited scope ofuse; are comparatively difficult to handle and cannot economically meetcertain requirements often encountered in practice. In reproducing formsof type pages, tarifi sheets and the like by means of vacuum'printingframes, two general methods have commonly been employed. One methodrequires mounting of the films by stripping them upon a thick glassplate and the other method employs a large opaque sheet in whichopenings are cut, corresponding to the pages required by the form, andthe films are then mounted over the openings and pasted to the opaquesheet. In both cases, the glass plate of the prepared opaque sheet asthe case may be, is then placed in the vacuum printing frame in contactwith the sensitized plate and the one or more subjects to be printed areexposed to the light action. Frequently, negatives comprising differenttype are different from the negatives having pictorial matter thereon sothat different periods of light exposure are essential to obtain thedesired prints on the sensitized plate. When using the vacuum frame, inorder to permit of the different exposures, the operator must mask allsuch portions that require one period of exposure while exposing theothers. This is an obvious time-consuming operation and attendant withuncertain results. Furthermore, it is frequently necessary to repeat thesame subject on the press plate and where vacuum frames are employed,this necessitates the making up of a corresponding plurality ofnegatives, thus not only increasing the expense but being likely toresult in negatives of different quality. While the disadvantages ofvacuum printing frames above pointed out, are not inherent in the usualphoto -composing machine, nevertheless the latter are generally tooexpensive in initial investment and operating costs, to warrant theiruse in the simpler forms of photographic plate making.

One object of this invention, therefore, is to provide a simple andrelatively inexpensive apparatus for photographically making printingplates in a more expeditious, eflicient and less expensive manner thanheretofore.

Another object of the invention is to provide a photomechanicalapparatus such that a plurality of exposures on the platemay be madesimultaneously under conditions requiring either like or differentperiods of light exposure for the different subjects being reproduced.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide an apparatus ofthe character indicated wherein is combined a monorail or bar adjustableover the surface of the press plate and with which are cooperable one ora plurality of interchangeable detachable and reversible printingelement holders to speed up the operation and facilitate the use ofnegatives of difierent sizes and characteristics and also, on account ofthe reversible mounting feature of the holders, reduce the over all sizeof the apparatus to a minimum for any given size press plate andpermitting photographic reproduction on all portions thereof.

A specific object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of thecharacter indicated wherein may be temporarily employed a layout sheetover the press plate to facilitate location of the negatives to beprinted and which layout sheet may then be removed or retracted duringthe exposure. I

Other objects of the invention will more clearly appear from thedescription and claims hereinafter following.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is anelevational view of an apparatus embodying the improvements. Figure 2 isan enlarged, detail elevational view of a portion of the structure shownin Figure. 1. Figure 3 is aside elevational view of that portion of thestructure illustrated in Figure 2. Figures 4 and 5 are sectionalviewscorresponding to the section lines 4-4 and 5-5, respectively of Figure2. Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view corresponding to the line 6-6of Figurel. Figure '7 isa front elevational view, upon an enlargedscale, of a portion of the apparatus shown in Figure 1 but illustratinga modified form of saddle or adapter for holding the negatives. Figure 8is a vertical sectional view corresponding to the line 8-8 of Figure 7.And Figure 9 is a more or less diagrammatic view of the structureillustrated in Figure 7 showing the manner of obtaining an angularposition of the negative and holder with reference to the main bar orrail.

Referring first to the construction illustrated in Figures 1 to 6inclusive, the apparatus is shown as including a main flat bed-likemember or support A of any suitable material, possessing the necessaryrigidity, and the area of which is slight-- 1y greater than that of themaximum size press plate B intended to be used thereon. Said support Amay be used in the horizontal by resting upon any suitable table orsimilar support; in the vertical by being suitably so supported or in aninclined position, as may best suit the desires of the particularoperator. On its top or main sup porting flat surface, the press plate Bis detachably secured by anysuitable means such as the flush screwsi0lll at the corners as shown, it being understood that the plate willbe held taut and perfectly flat for receiving the exposures.

Along each side edge thereof, the main supportA is provided with a guiderail I l projecting a short distance both above and below the upper andlower surfaces of the main support A, as best shown in Figures 4 and 5.Preferably on its top side, the support A is provided adjacent each sideedge thereof with a longitudinally extending rack bar I! and a scaleindicator l3. Preferably, the rack bars 12 are provided with amicrometer longitudinal adjustment as by means of the micrometer screws14-44 at the bottom ends thereof, which are swiveled in suitablebrackets l5-l5 secured to the main support A. By these micrometeradjustments, accurate alinement of the rack bars may be obtained andalso a micrometer ad justment of the cross bar, hereinafter referred to,vertically may be obtained within limited amounts, when desired.

Slidably mounted on each of the guide rails ii is a cross head or blockI6 suitably retained in place by a gib plate H so that the blocks may beadjusted back and forth in one line of direction (up and down as shownin Figure 1) with reference to the main support A. Carried by thehorizontally alined guide blocks i6 is a main monorail or cross bar C ofpreferably rectangular cross section, as best shown in Figure 6, andwherein the longer dimension is vertical or parallel to the sup portingsurface so as to minimize any tendency of deflection from the weight ofthe adapters or saddles hereinafter referred to. As clearly shown, saidrail C is spaced a short distance from the support A and plate B mountedthereon and is, of course, movable thereover. The rail C is alsopreferably made adjustable horizontally with reference to the guideblocks ii for a limited amount by means of a micrometer wheel fl andscrew IS, the latter being threaded onto the bar and the wheel beingcarried by a shaft lournaled in an extension block I I 6, the shaftbeing extended outwardly of the extension block I I6 and preferablysquared as indicated at 20. to facilitate operation by a wrench or thelike, said shaft carrying also a wheel 2| by which the micrometeradjustment may be made directly by hand, if desired.

The right-hand guide block l6, as viewed in Figure 1, carries a beveledscale plate 22 which, in conjunction with the indicator mark 23 on therail C, suffices to indicate the amount of adjust-, ment in conjunctionwith the micrometer wheel II. The rail C is also provided with anindicator main scale 24, the intervals of which correspond to themaximum micrometer adjustment permitted by the micrometer wheel andscrew |l-l I.

To mechanically effect the bodily movements of the rail C and partscarried thereby, an operating shaft 25 is provided, journaled at itsends in the guide blocks l6, and having pinions 26 thereon cooperablewith the rack bars I2. The shaft is extended preferably at each endbeyond its bearings and provided with hand wheels 21-21 and at theright-hand end may also have a squared extension 28 for the use of awrench or like tool. The bearings for the shaft 25 are preferably of thesplit type, as indicated at 29 in Figure 3, and the shaft may befrictionally clamped in any desired position by means of the clampingscrews 3|, mounted in and coacting with the split sections of thebearings. Also, the guide blocks and associated parts carried thereby,may be additionally locked or clamped by means of set screws 3l8l,threaded through the blocks and adapted to engage the edges of the guiderails.

Cooperable with the rail C are one or more adapters or saddles, threebeing illustrated in Figure 1, and indicated as D, D and D respectively.Each of said adapters is primarily characterized by the fact that it maybe clamped or locked to the rail C in any desired position lengthwise ofthe rail and either extending upwardly therefrom in a plane parallel tothe press plate as in the case of the two adapters D and D or downwardlytherefrom also in a plane parallel to the press plate, as indicated bythe adapter D. A second characteristic of each of the adapters is thatthe same may be applied or attached to or removed from the rail C at anypoint along the rail without disassembling any of the parts of theapparatus or disturbing the operative relation between the rail C andthe press plate and main support. Any suitable construction may beemployed for such detachable and reversible arrangement, the one showncomprising upper and lower flanges 32 and 33 extending inwardlytherefrom, as best shown in Figure 6, so as to ride the upper and loweredges of the rail and permitting removal of the saddle transversely fromthe bar C.

As will be apparent, the adapters are adjusted manually on the railCand, when the proper position has been obtained, are locked in place byset screws indicated at 34. To facilitating locating of the adapters,the same are preferably provided with centrally disposed sigh holes 35through which may be viewed the indicator scale 24, as shown inFigure 1. In certain instances, where finer accuracy of adjustment isdesired, the adapters may have associated therewith a post also slidablymounted on the rail C. One such post is indicated at in Figure 1 showingthe manner of using the same in connection with the adapter D. The post60 is a split member straddling the rail C and adapted to be clamped inany adjusted position as by the set screws ii and also readilydetachable from the rail C at any point therealong. Swiveiled in theadapter is a screw 62, which has threaded engagement with the adapter sothat. when the adapter has been roughly positioned and the post 68clamped, the finer adjustment may be effected by turning the screw 62,as will be obvious.

The adapters or saddles may be of like or varying sizes for the mountingand retaining thereon of negative holders E E and E of like or differentsizes. As shown, the negative holder E is of somewhat lesser size thanthe other two holders holder, each adapter is provided with a verticalflange or extension 36 of suitable width corresponding to the negativeholder to be attached thereto, each said flange or extension projectingor extending parallel to and over the main support and press platethereof and having a pair of attaching screws 31 and a pair of aliningor registering dowels 38. In the construction best illustrated in Figure6, the negative holder E there shown is of that type disclosed in myPatent No. 2,000,390, granted May '7, 1935, the rigid portion of theholder being indicated in Figure 6 at 39 and into which the attachingscrews 3'! are preferably threaded. In this type of construction, aspacer 40 is interposed between the negative holder and the flange 36 ofthe adapter and a slight amount of clearance is allowed, as indicated at4|, to permit the negative holder to be displaced slightly away from thepressplate during a shift while at the same time allowing the negativeto be drawn tightly against the press plate when suction is applied asthrough the suction tube, indicated conventionally at 42 in Figure 1.

By employing detachable adapters or saddles as shown, the work may beperformed exceeding- 1y rapidly inasmuch as apparent, the negativeholders may be attached to the adapters outside of the photographicapparatus and as many as may be desired. Each adapter with its attachednegative holder is then applied manually to the rail and adjusted tothedesired position, whereupon the same is ready for an exposure. As

. obvious, a plurality of adapters with attached negative holders may beapplied simultaneously to the rail and simultaneous but independentlycontrolled exposures made, preferably by portable arc lamps with properhoods, a portion of one of which is indicated at 43 in Figure 6. Eachportable arc lamp will be brought up against its respective negative andthe proper exposure made, dependent upon the particular negative. beingphotographed. Further, it will be noted that on account of thereversible features of the adapters,

- it becomes unnecessary to extend the main support any appreciabledistance beyond the upper and lower edges of the press plate, asheretofore necessary in all photo-composing machines, so far as known.As apparent'from Figure 1, the adapter D and corresponding negativeholder E can be employed in its down position to photograph the subjectmatter on the lower portions of the plate, while the rail is positionedabove the lower edge of the plate. Where the negative holders of theusual type of composers are adapt-,

ed to be mounted on one side only of the main support or carriage, it isnecessary that the latter be able to drop down below the bottom edge ofthe press plate a sufiicient distance to accommodate the maximum sizenegative holder that may be employed, thus increasing the over-alldimensions of the apparatus correspondingly.

Referring next to the construction illustrated in Figures '7, 8 and 9,the rail C there shown is the same as that illustrated in the otherfigures. The adapter D however, is of somewhat difierent form andpreferably comprises two end U shaped elements 44-44 adapted to straddlethe rail or bar C and to be clamped thereto by set screws 45-45.Extending between the elements 44 and pivotally connected thereto by thepivot bolts 46-46 is a cross bar or member 41, which carries thenegative attaching screws 4848 and registering dowel pins 4949. InFigure 8, the negative holder E there shown is of the type disclosed inmy Patent No. 1,978,493, granted Oct. 30, 1934, and

need not be specifically described. As in the previously described form,a clearance space I is left so as to allow of clearance movement of thenegative and holder relative to the press plate to permit of shift.

As will be apparent, the adapter D possesses the same essentialcharacteristics as those previously described, that is, detachabilityand reversibility. In addition, it has incorporated therein means foraccomplishing other results as follows. In certain instances, it isdesired to tilt the subject matter to be printed at an angle to thevertical and to accomplish this, the cross bar 41 is provided with apair of adjusting screws 5050 extending therethrough and adapted to bearon the upper edge of the rail C, so that, as shown in Figure 9, byproperly adjusting the screws, the angular position of adapter andnegative holder, within reasonable limits, may be effected. Also, onaccount of the swiveled connection between the cross bar 4! and endelements M of the adapter, the negative holder may be swung outwardlyentirely clearof the support A and a change of negative holders madedirectly on the machine without the necessity of removing the adapterwhenever this is desired. In this connection, the lower line of contactbetween the negative and press plate, as viewed in Figure 8, will bebrought horizontally in line with the pivotal axis of the cross bar 41,so as to avoid scraping 'of or injury to the press plate when thenegative is swung in or out.

Referring now to Figure 1, attention is directed to the means providedfor employing a layout sheet to facilitate locating of the negatives.The main support A at one side thereof is shown provided with a dowel 55and alined therewith at the opposite side, a somewhat elongated slot 56.The pin and slot 55-456 constitute a registering means adapted tocooperate with a layout sheet which may be placed bodily over thesupport A and press plate B, it being understood that the same will beextended beneath the rail C and before the adapters and negative holdersare mounted on the rail. With the layout sheet,

'showing the locations of the different subject matters to be printed,in registered positions on the press plate, the respective negativeholders and adapters may then be mounted in place and adjusted over thelocations indicated, on the layout sheet. Thereupon, the layout sheetmay be removed; the negatives placed in contact with the press plate andthe exposures made. While the layout sheet may be bodily removed fromthe apparatus, a convenient method of using the same is obtained byemploying a roller, such as indicated at 51, mounted at the top of thesupport A and to which the layout sheet may be attached, rolled orunrolled in the manner of a window shade. When in use, the layout sheetwill be drawn down over the press plate and registered as previouslyindicated and, when the exposures are to be made, the same will beretracted by rolling up on the roller 51.

In the drawings has been indicated a single press plate B ofsubstantially the maximum size for which the apparatus is adapted. Incertain classes of work, particularly newspaper work, it is frequentlynecessary to use relatively narrow press plates and prepare the samepractically simultaneously on account of the speed required in turningout an edition. In such cases, a plurality of narrower plates may bemounted on the support A and the necessary exposures made on each of theplates, either separately or simultaneously, as will be obvious.

With the improved construction described, it is apparent that the samehas far greater flexibility and wider range of use than the ordinaryvacuum printing frame and also possesses certain fea tures offlexibility over and above those of the usual far more expensivephoto-composing machines. As will be apparent, the apparatus hereinshown and described is merely illustrative and various changes andmodifications may be made without departing from the spirit of theinvention. All such changes and modifications are contemplated that comewithin the scope of the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

1. In a photomechanical printing apparatus, a main flat support for aprint-receiving element; a member adjustably mounted on said support tomove back and forth in a plane parallel toythe surface of the support; acarrier adjustable back and forth on said member in a direction at rightangles to the line of adjustment of said member relative to the supportand also in a plane parallel to the surface of the support, said carriercomprising means slidably directly engageable with said member and asection angularly adjustable relative to said means about an axisparallel to said member.

2. In a photomechanical printing apparatus, a main flat support for apress plate or the like; a bar movable backand forth in one line ofdirection in a plane parallel to the surface of said support; and anadapter, detachable with respect to said bar, for carrying a printingelement, said adapter comprising elements adapted to directly engage thebar, an attaching section pivotally connected to said elements, andmeans for angularly bodily adjusting the adapter relative to the bar ina plane parallel to the surface of said support.

3. In a-photomechanical printing apparatus, the combination with a flatsupport for a printreceiving element, a monorail and means for adjustingthe monorail over the support in a plane parallel thereto in one line ofdirection; of a negative holding adapter attachable to and detachablefrom the monorail, said adapter having a forked section and a. flangeextending from the forked section, said forked section being such as toengage over the monorail in either of two positions with the flange ofthe adapter extending either upwardly or downwardly from the monorailand with the flange projecting over the support; means on said flangefor detachably retaining a negative holder thereon; and means forlocking the adapter to the monorail at any point therealong.

4. In a photomechanical printing apparatus, the combination with asupport for a print-receiving element; of a member adjustably mounted onsaid support and movable over the surface thereof; means for adjustingsaid member back and forth in one line relative to the support and in aplane parallel to the surface of the support; and aprinting-element-holding adapter, said adapter and member being of suchcross sections, in a plane perpendicular to both said member and thesurface of the support, that one provides an open mouthed recess todetachably receive the other therein, in either of two positions of saidadapter at to each other relative to said member.

5. In a photomechanical printing apparatus, the combination with a flatsupport for a printreceiving element, a monorail and means for adjustingthe monorail over the support in a plane parallel thereto in one line ofdirection; of a negative holding adapter attachable to and detachablefrom the monorail, said adapter having an open mouth recessed sectionadapted to fit over the monorail and thereby readily assembled with anddetached from the monorail by relative movement between the adapter andmonorail in a plane perpendicular to and extending transversely of themonorail.

WILLIAM C. HUEBNER.

